Tuesday, April 8, 2008

negligent discharges...accidental sounds so much warmer/fuzzier

jolted by the story of the us airways pilot who allowed a round from his official-issue cockpit pistol to shoot through the fuselage while on landing approach at charlotte, nc, and wide discussion on the equipment and tsa policies regarding it, i found myself reflecting on the three times i allowed a negligent discharge in my thirty years as a firearms dealer; they're each like a vivid photo, or series of photos, in my brain, and though no one was hurt (still thanking God for that), they still scare the hell out of me, but to varying degrees...

the first was in 1978; my rookie year as a dealer, but not a handler, of guns...i should have known better...i did know better...but it happened and it was a learning experience extraordinaire...

the second was fifteen years later and was by far was the most terrifying; it still comes to me in dreams sometimes, and i wasn't even holding the gun at the time...

the third, another ten years later, was by far the most explosive but ironic and almost humorous in certain aspects.

some would say that three nd's in thirty years and tens of thousands of gun touches is a low percentage, and that is true, but any...any...is too many, and when they happen they stay with you for better or worse.

xavier has said he has considered an nd/ad post series (to the extent that an unintentional discharge can be an accident and not negligent...a rarity if it is possible at all), allowing gunnies to share their misbangs, what they learned from them, and how they were affected by them.

i plan to post my three bittersweet little memories here a few days apart, and offer them to xav if he does his series...first installment tomorrow...jtc

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